The Walking Dead Season 4: Beth Is “Extremely Alone,” Hasn’t Come to Terms With Hershel’s Death

Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) maye be in a state of shock after the prison battle, but his current partner Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) is ready to spring into action, encouraging Daryl to help her look for other survivors and generally being remarkably hopeful for just someone who just watched her dear old dad get decapitated.

Emily chatted with Entertainment Weeklyafter Season 4, Episode 10: “Inmates” and discussed Beth’s current state of mind. “Beth is still holding on to this idea that they could possibly find some of the people from the prison and somehow they have that group again,” the 28-year-old actress explains, though she does note that part of Beth’s motivation to find others is sheer loneliness. “I think that Beth feels very alone and Daryl isn’t the most open person in the world, so even though she has a partner in this, she still feels extremely alone. The journal too is kind of showing just how much she was holding onto this idea of the prison, and during this episode she is still holding on to this idea that maybe there is a way to get back to having that group, or having some sort of family, having some sort of stability by searching for the kids and searching for other survivors. And it just doesn’t work out.”

When Beth saw a child’s shoe and dissolved into hysterics we teared up right along with her, this world is tough, but we’re surprised at how well Beth is handling everything. Still, Emily notes that her on-screen counterpart hasn’t fully processed Hershel Greene’s (Scott Wilson) death yet, so her grief is most certainly not over.

Emily notes, “I think she definitely still hasn’t come to terms with that life is over yet — in terms of the people and the family she gained by having that stability of the prison. She’s still sort of hopeful. She still hasn’t come to terms with her father’s death yet. That is something that is going to play out throughout the whole rest of the season. This is just the beginning. She is still trying to grasp something.”

Hopefully Daryl will stay by Beth’s side as she goes through the grieving process, because she’s going to need all the support she can get. And even though Beth and Daryl seem like an odd pair, Emily says she loves working with Norman and even feels that their on-screen relationship mimics their off-camera dynamic. “Norman is such a great actor and fun person to work with. He’s so sweet,” she gushes. “I feel like now he’s become such a good friend and it’s fun because I think Beth and Daryl are getting to know each other now because they’re kind of stuck together. And, in a way, me and Norman are now stuck together after not necessarily having a tons of scenes together and getting to know each other. So in some ways it definitely paralleled their journey — Beth and Daryl’s journey and Emily and Norman’s journey. So it’s been really fun and satisfying.”

Are you eager for more Beth and Daryl scenes, or do you think they’re a boring pair? Tell us how you feel below!